For many people, discovering the clues that lead to unfortunate circumstances can be stressful. It’s easy to pretend that you didn’t notice or to explain the problem away and hope it’s not really there. Unfortunately, if you ignore the signs of a termite infestation, your home may already be damaged in a devastating way before an exterminator even has a chance to fight back. Don’t wait if you suspect a termite problem in West Palm Beach – it’s better to be wrong than to ignore a problem like termites.
How Do You Know It’s Termites?
Termites are fairly easy to identify, if you find one and catch it. They have pincer-like mouths and long-ish bodies that do not have segments like ants. Most of the year they live in burrows, either in wood or underground, but once a year they take flight on long thin wings that resemble dragonfly wings. If you see a swarm of dragonfly-like bugs leaving your home one warm summer evening, it’s time to call the exterminator. Always try to catch a sample of any insect that you suspect is infesting your home, so that the exterminator can be sure of an accurate identification.
Other signs of termites include little piles of very fine sawdust below wood beams or in corners. Termites eat wood, and they’ll go after furniture, ceilings and floors, as well as anything that they think might be tasty. They’ll even eat through carpeting. When the problem gets bad, the look of your wooden things will start to resemble wood that is water damaged; buckling wood, bulges in the ceiling or walls, and other malformations can all be signs of termites.
So What Can You Do?
First of all, don’t try to take apart your walls yourself. Termites can do structural damage, and the last thing you want to do is make the problem worse by being unsafe when exploring the extent of termite damage. Most likely, you’ll call a termite exterminator right away and let them explore the situation. Someone with experience will know just what to look for and how to look for it.
Of course, try to capture a termite if you see them running (or flying) around in or outside of your West Palm Beach home. And if you even suspect termites, you’re always better off calling to have someone check it out, just in case. Don’t let the problem get worse when you could have called in an exterminator.
For termites and all kinds of exterminating jobs in West Palm Beach, you can rely on the experienced and dependable folks at Bates Exterminating.
Bates Exterminating
